WEBVTT 00:00:02.786 --> 00:00:04.873 Welcome to the Growing Our Future podcast. 00:00:04.873 --> 00:00:19.969 In this show, the Texas FFA Foundation will take on a journey of exploration into agricultural science, education, leadership development and insights from subject matter experts and sponsors who provide the fuel to make dreams come true. 00:00:19.969 --> 00:00:22.324 Here's your host, Aaron Alejandro. 00:00:30.149 --> 00:00:51.890 Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening or whenever you may be tuning in to the Growing Our Future podcast, I tell you those that know know that I'm an ag guy, I'm an agricultural guy, and I always tell people, if agriculture has taught me anything, it's taught me this If you want to know what the future is, grow it. 00:00:51.890 --> 00:01:01.591 Well, to grow it, you've got to plant the right seeds, you've got to take care of those seeds and then one day, if you do it all right and you keep the weeds out, you get to harvest it. 00:01:01.591 --> 00:01:09.099 And then, when you harvest it, I want you to share it with others. 00:01:09.099 --> 00:01:12.561 That's what this podcast is about. 00:01:12.561 --> 00:01:20.243 It's about growing a better future, and to do that, we invite incredible guests to come on here, guests that are willing to share their testimonies, their experiences, their insights. 00:01:20.243 --> 00:01:24.453 And today we have got an exceptional guest. 00:01:24.453 --> 00:01:28.882 And today we have got an exceptional guest. 00:01:28.902 --> 00:01:34.174 I had the opportunity to be a part of a program called Igniting the Next Generation Leadership Program and I got to hear this man speak. 00:01:34.174 --> 00:01:42.426 And as soon as I heard him speak, I said I got to get that man on the Growing Our Future podcast and he didn't hesitate. 00:01:42.426 --> 00:01:47.308 I want y'all to know he didn't say let me think about it, how many podcasts have you done? 00:01:47.308 --> 00:01:49.686 He said Aaron, I'm all in. 00:01:49.686 --> 00:01:52.849 Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to hear from Trinnell here in a second. 00:01:52.849 --> 00:01:54.165 This is Trinnell Walker. 00:01:54.165 --> 00:01:56.146 Trinnell, thank you for joining us today. 00:01:57.168 --> 00:01:57.930 Hey, my pleasure. 00:01:57.930 --> 00:02:04.332 I'm so excited to be able to just sit here and chit chat with you, like two friends that we are. 00:02:08.180 --> 00:02:08.640 And that's exactly what. 00:02:08.640 --> 00:02:11.729 I'm glad you said that because that's what we're going to do, so I don't like any formal structure. 00:02:11.729 --> 00:02:13.312 People ask me all the time, trinnell. 00:02:13.312 --> 00:02:19.616 They say, can you send me the questions, can you tell me what you're going to ask me? 00:02:19.616 --> 00:02:32.526 And I'm like, nope, I said that's the reason I like this is because I think when we're just genuinely having a conversation that's the reason I like this is because I think when we were just genuinely having a conversation, I think that's where the real seeds of greatness in a person's testimony, in their story, I think that's where it comes out. 00:02:32.526 --> 00:02:34.925 And I know, I know, trinnell, that's what's going to happen today. 00:02:36.461 --> 00:02:37.163 I'm right there with you. 00:02:37.163 --> 00:02:38.486 I'm touching the green with you. 00:02:38.507 --> 00:02:44.350 Okay, here we go, we kick off this podcast and everybody gets the same question. 00:02:44.350 --> 00:02:46.724 So, guess what you get? 00:02:46.724 --> 00:02:52.688 The same question everybody else gets, and that is this, trinnell, what are you grateful for today? 00:02:53.820 --> 00:03:14.004 I'm grateful to be able to breathe, and the reason why I say that is because, you know, with my spinal cord injury, I have a C4 spinal cord injury which has left me paralyzed from the neck down and, as a result, I only use one of the three muscles we use to breathe, which is the diaphragm, and we have the chest muscle and the stomach muscle. 00:03:14.004 --> 00:03:27.352 So, for me, I've been dealing with congestion for the last two days and even prior to getting onto this podcast, I actually had to have my assistant to be able to help me cough up the congestion that I've been dealing with. 00:03:27.352 --> 00:03:32.942 So, just being able to breathe the breath of life that's been breathed into our nostrils, I mean. 00:03:32.942 --> 00:03:39.626 I'm so grateful for that because I can't take that for granted, because if you can't breathe you can't teach, and if you can't teach you can't speak. 00:03:39.626 --> 00:03:41.205 If you can't speak, you can't influence. 00:03:43.640 --> 00:03:44.924 We just stop right there. 00:03:46.828 --> 00:03:52.550 That's the reason why I wanted him on here, because that's the kind of gold y'all are going to get all day today right there. 00:03:52.550 --> 00:03:54.020 Uh, turn out. 00:03:54.020 --> 00:03:54.682 I agree with you. 00:03:54.682 --> 00:03:59.224 By the way, you said something else there that I think I want to go ahead and I'm just going to throw it out there. 00:03:59.224 --> 00:04:04.121 I like to ask the kids I say name the most successful athlete? 00:04:04.121 --> 00:04:04.281 No name. 00:04:04.281 --> 00:04:05.683 I'll say name the most successful athlete, and they'll name them. 00:04:05.683 --> 00:04:07.888 I'll say name the most successful business person? 00:04:07.888 --> 00:04:09.110 They'll name them. 00:04:09.110 --> 00:04:12.216 Name the most successful entertainer? 00:04:12.216 --> 00:04:16.050 They'll name them. 00:04:16.050 --> 00:04:19.062 And I said now, think about all that success you just named. 00:04:19.062 --> 00:04:24.689 And then I always ask them which one of those people make their own heartbeat every day? 00:04:24.689 --> 00:04:30.927 Wow, let that sink in for a second. 00:04:30.927 --> 00:04:38.668 And then all of a sudden you realize that that breath you just talked about what an incredible gift. 00:04:40.781 --> 00:04:45.379 What an incredible gift, and we're going to talk about that because that's some good stuff right there. 00:04:45.379 --> 00:04:47.944 Uh, let's go. 00:04:47.944 --> 00:04:49.286 All right, here we go. 00:04:49.286 --> 00:04:58.750 So, again, the way that we met was we were both part of a project through a generation ziggler uh program. 00:04:58.750 --> 00:05:04.163 Uh, which, by the way, trinell and I both have a connection to tom ziggler and the ziggler Corporation. 00:05:05.144 --> 00:05:21.733 Trinnell, I don't know if you know or not, but back in the day, zig Ziegler he didn't know it, but Zig Ziegler was my mentor what, and I used the book See you at the Top to get elected Texas FFA president. 00:05:21.733 --> 00:05:24.906 And on the weekends I used to live. 00:05:24.906 --> 00:05:33.524 I lived in Dallas when I was state president and on the weekends I would go downtown Dallas to First Baptist Church and I would go to Zig Ziglar Sunday school class. 00:05:33.524 --> 00:05:36.168 He never knew I was there. 00:05:36.168 --> 00:05:52.627 Now you can imagine what it was like years later when James McLam and Matt Rush introduced me to Tom Ziglar, when James McLam and Matt Rush introduced me to Tom Ziegler and I got to tell Tom about his dad being my mentor, and then ultimately, tom Ziegler came on my board of directors. 00:05:52.668 --> 00:05:55.512 He's on the board of directors of the Texas FFA Foundation. 00:05:55.512 --> 00:06:05.069 Now you can imagine what it was like for me to sit in a room at Ziegler headquarters and watch Tom Ziegler training our state officers. 00:06:05.089 --> 00:06:06.110 Wow, I'm sitting here going. 00:06:06.110 --> 00:06:16.300 Your daddy did that for me and now I'm getting to watch you pour into this next generation of leaders. 00:06:16.300 --> 00:06:25.812 So I say all that to tee up Trinnell's credentials, because he is a speaker, a life coach and he is a Ziegler certified speaker, presenter and coach. 00:06:25.812 --> 00:06:36.788 And I think it's pretty obvious, trinnell, I got another really good board member, cleo Franklin, who's also a speaker presenter. 00:06:36.788 --> 00:06:44.848 Cleo's grandfather said son, he said never speak on the obvious and game recognizes game. 00:06:47.033 --> 00:06:47.353 True. 00:06:48.461 --> 00:06:59.887 I think anybody that listens and looks at Trinnell knows that this man's got a story, he's got a testimony, and that is why I wanted him on here, because when I heard it I was inspired. 00:06:59.887 --> 00:07:08.793 And so, Trinnell, you didn't just fall into that seat right there no sir there's. 00:07:08.793 --> 00:07:11.947 There's a story that needs to be told. 00:07:11.947 --> 00:07:21.690 So if you would take a moment and just kind of lead us on your life journey, uh, as to where you are today and how, you got there okay. 00:07:22.012 --> 00:07:28.987 Well, I appreciate you blessing me with this opportunity, though I I haven't always used the super fly wheelchair, you know that I'm sitting in today. 00:07:28.987 --> 00:07:35.668 I'm telling you, 28 years ago, man, football was my life, but I was passionate about it. 00:07:35.668 --> 00:07:48.149 I had planned on using my athletic talents to be able to pay for college and to be able to, you know, take care of my family. 00:07:48.149 --> 00:07:54.608 Because, I mean, when I was told, you know, my talents was, you know, on an NFL level. 00:07:54.608 --> 00:08:20.730 And I already knew that my mom, being a single parent, working a full time job only making $5.25 at the time, plus two part-time jobs to take care of me, my older brother and my grandmother, who had a disability, wouldn't be able to, you know, pay for me to go to college. 00:08:20.730 --> 00:08:29.283 So going to college put me a step closer to my ultimate goal, and that was to be able to play in the NFL. 00:08:29.283 --> 00:08:31.449 Because I had already been in class. 00:08:31.449 --> 00:08:46.187 Visualized, you know, being drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, walking across the stage, shaking a commissioner's hand, putting on that hat that represented that star. 00:08:46.187 --> 00:09:05.416 Oh yeah, baby, I was already representing them Dallas Cowboys, you know, holding up that jersey with the number one on it, signed a contract to make enough money just to retire my mom work, buy her a house as well as a brand new car. 00:09:05.416 --> 00:09:10.331 But it's been said that the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. 00:09:10.331 --> 00:09:25.671 And on October 20th 1995, I was fulfilling my dream as a freshman, playing on the varsity football team, starting at the defensive back position at the strong safety. 00:09:25.671 --> 00:09:27.274 I'll never forget. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:32.730 The lights from Bearcat Stadium shined out on the field capturing my performance. 00:09:32.730 --> 00:09:40.153 The cold October breeze nipped at my skin as I walked to the left side of the defense to take my position. 00:09:40.153 --> 00:09:43.904 I looked in at the quarterback waiting for him to receive the ball. 00:09:43.904 --> 00:09:50.186 He received the football and immediately tossed it to the running back, headed in my direction. 00:09:50.186 --> 00:09:54.610 Man, I seen that running back coming my way and I read that play. 00:09:54.610 --> 00:09:56.426 Oh yeah, like a book. 00:09:56.426 --> 00:09:59.990 I ran up the field, stopped the running back. 00:09:59.990 --> 00:10:01.504 The running back saw me. 00:10:01.504 --> 00:10:06.826 He tried to reverse field but he slipped and I made a textbook tackle from behind. 00:10:06.826 --> 00:10:07.589 Hitting the running back saw me. 00:10:07.589 --> 00:10:12.528 He tried to reverse field but he slipped and I made a textbook tackle from behind hitting the running back, wrapping him up and driving him toward the ground. 00:10:13.220 --> 00:10:18.393 But, unknowing to me, my teammate was coming from the opposite side to assist. 00:10:18.393 --> 00:10:38.885 The running back saw it, but I didn't, and so the running back ducked underneath and when he did it exposed my head and my own teammate ran into me, hitting me at the top of my hands, crushing the fourth vertebrae in my neck, leaving me paralyzed from the neck down. 00:10:38.885 --> 00:10:44.543 You know what was meant to be my high school glory days turned into temporary defeat. 00:10:44.543 --> 00:10:46.894 But you know, days turned into temporary defeat. 00:10:46.894 --> 00:10:52.023 But you know, I learned that temporary defeat does not mean permanent failure. 00:10:52.023 --> 00:10:58.287 When I tried a bad attitude, I tried blaming others, but one of the things that I learned from my mom is that nothing beats a failure but a try. 00:10:58.287 --> 00:11:23.193 And that's when I started to really change my attitude in trying what I now call the Trinnell effect, and that's taking action, being resilient, encouraging, never quitting evaluating learning and love and myself to be able to continue to pursue my career forward. 00:11:23.193 --> 00:11:24.779 And in doing so, I was able to continue to go to high school. 00:11:25.442 --> 00:11:28.977 I ended up graduating with my classmates in 1999. 00:11:28.977 --> 00:11:31.326 And I wasn't finished with that. 00:11:31.326 --> 00:11:33.206 I wanted to more. 00:11:33.206 --> 00:11:34.806 I wanted to be able to give back. 00:11:34.806 --> 00:11:43.855 So I pursued my college career in the University of North Texas and did in Texas in rehabilitation studies. 00:11:43.855 --> 00:11:49.746 So I ended up getting my bachelor's degree and I'm like man, I want a little bit more, I want something more specific. 00:11:49.746 --> 00:12:15.269 So I decided to go into rehabilitation counseling and I ended up becoming a rehabilitation counselor and then you know, lo and behold, in 2015, I ended up becoming a Ziegler Legacy Certified Trainer as well as this certified side, as well as again a coach. 00:12:15.269 --> 00:12:17.554 So it's been a journey. 00:12:17.554 --> 00:12:28.267 I mean, I was a corporate trainer for 12 years for a pediatric home health and I'm not sharing all this to impress you, but to impress upon you. 00:12:28.267 --> 00:12:32.625 It's impossible to stop a motivated person because they will never quit. 00:12:33.969 --> 00:12:39.028 Wow, one day, trinnell, I was in a you know you're from a small North Texas town. 00:12:39.028 --> 00:12:48.481 I'm from a small North Texas town and before I took this job that I'm in now, 24 years ago, I used to work in a bootcamp. 00:12:48.481 --> 00:12:50.850 I worked with truant offenders and I worked in a prison. 00:12:50.850 --> 00:12:54.884 So I went from that audience to these FFA kids. 00:12:54.884 --> 00:12:57.892 So that's kind of tells you the shift in the audience that I went from. 00:13:00.321 --> 00:13:13.089 But I remember one day I was in this coffee shop where these old men had gathered and they were cussing, discussing what's wrong with this country, and they said Alejandro, I'll tell you what's wrong with this country. 00:13:13.089 --> 00:13:13.890 I said what is it? 00:13:13.890 --> 00:13:16.227 They said we got to get back to the basics. 00:13:16.227 --> 00:13:18.267 I said, all right, I'm listening. 00:13:18.267 --> 00:13:21.568 The three R's I said okay. 00:13:21.568 --> 00:13:24.308 They said yep, reading, writing and arithmetic. 00:13:24.308 --> 00:13:28.850 We'll just get back to the basics, we'll put this country back on track. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:40.629 And I remember sitting there listening to those men and I said gentlemen, I mean you know disrespect, but I agree with you about the three R's. 00:13:40.629 --> 00:13:42.225 I said I work with true and offenders. 00:13:42.225 --> 00:13:52.321 I worked with juvenile detention kids and I work in a prison and everybody that I can work with can read, write and do math at some functional level. 00:13:52.321 --> 00:13:58.019 I said but you're right about the three R's, but it's not reading, writing and arithmetic. 00:13:58.019 --> 00:14:05.173 I said I think if we could just get back to respect, responsibility and resiliency. 00:14:05.173 --> 00:14:09.070 I said something tells me if we get back to the basics of those three. 00:14:09.070 --> 00:14:20.548 Learn to respect yourself, your fellow man, learn to be responsible for yourself, your family, your community, your state country, and learn to get up when you've been knocked down. 00:14:20.548 --> 00:14:27.972 Not everybody's going to put that cap on hold that jersey up. 00:14:30.020 --> 00:14:33.428 But that doesn't mean that there's not another purpose for that life. 00:14:33.428 --> 00:14:49.196 You've got to be resilient, and that's one reason Trinnell's story touches me is because I love to see somebody who's resilient and take their resiliency and pour it into others. 00:14:49.196 --> 00:14:57.291 Before we came on the air, trinnell and I were talking about that and you know, trinnell's been given a testimony for a reason. 00:14:57.291 --> 00:15:01.389 Could be the person that's listening to the podcast today. 00:15:01.389 --> 00:15:12.807 I've been given a testimony for a reason, and we never know when that person's going to cross our life path, and that's why we've got to share. 00:15:12.807 --> 00:15:20.721 That's why we've got to grow the future, because Trinnell and I both I know what the stats are. 00:15:20.721 --> 00:15:21.975 I'm not going to be here forever. 00:15:21.975 --> 00:15:32.135 We got to make sure somebody's there to pick up and carry on and make it better for the people that follow in our footsteps, and that's why I like Trinnell. 00:15:32.155 --> 00:15:33.019 I like his story. 00:15:33.019 --> 00:15:37.860 Trinnell, I know that one of the things I like, that you do so cleverly. 00:15:37.860 --> 00:15:40.018 By the way, I brag on you all the time. 00:15:40.018 --> 00:15:55.186 You don't know that I do this, but Trinnell has this knack of taking words and then he spells it out with all these little hints of life and how to live a better life. 00:15:55.186 --> 00:15:56.609 Trinnell, walk me through some of those. 00:15:56.609 --> 00:16:01.239 Walk me through some of your favorite words and their meanings to success. 00:16:02.181 --> 00:16:18.394 I mean the ones that I really like, and I actually broke it down in the acronym and I call it the trinell effect, and you briefly- heard me say it earlier and I like to teach this when I go out and share and do my trainings, because we all have value. 00:16:19.576 --> 00:16:33.357 And the acronym or for Trinnell the take action, the resilient, the encouraged, the never quit, the evaluate, the learn and love. 00:16:33.357 --> 00:16:43.076 That shows me my value, but then when I put an affirmation to it, that's going to show me my effect, and this is what I mean by this. 00:16:43.076 --> 00:16:50.600 This the T is for take action, why Proper action leads to satisfaction. 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:55.715 The R resilient why Be resilient? 00:16:55.715 --> 00:16:59.663 Because two steps back can lead to a great comeback. 00:16:59.663 --> 00:17:02.624 The E encourage, why Encourage, in order to a great comeback. 00:17:02.624 --> 00:17:06.459 The E encourage, why Encourage in order to help one flourish. 00:17:06.459 --> 00:17:15.261 The N never quit, why it's impossible to stop a motivated person because they will never quit. 00:17:15.261 --> 00:17:22.181 The E evaluate, why Evaluation can help lead to your destination. 00:17:22.181 --> 00:17:23.809 The L evaluate, why Evaluation can help lead to your destination. 00:17:23.809 --> 00:17:26.377 The L learn, why? 00:17:26.377 --> 00:17:32.561 Because when you learn, you earn respect for yourself, others and you could possibly earn more money, money, money. 00:17:32.561 --> 00:17:39.143 And the last L is for love, why? 00:17:39.143 --> 00:17:58.760 Because love is a gift from above and so, by being able to take action, be resilient, encourage, never quit, evaluate, learn and love that will give you the power to persevere, so you may influence lives and empower generations to thrive. 00:17:59.261 --> 00:18:02.539 So that's one of the acronyms that I like to use. 00:18:02.539 --> 00:18:09.700 And the other one I like to use is called live, because I like to live one day at a time, or live in the moment. 00:18:09.700 --> 00:18:14.896 The L stands for laugh Laugh as long as you breathe. 00:18:14.896 --> 00:18:24.336 We all go through some things every day and we may experience depression, but I've learned that 12 laughs a day keep depression away. 00:18:25.337 --> 00:18:35.645 The I is for inspire, because you have to inspire yourself by breathing life into yourself, by having a gratitude journal. 00:18:35.645 --> 00:18:44.263 So when you're going through things and you need to inspire yourself, just look at your gratitude journal, because I keep one every day that I write down what I'm grateful for. 00:18:44.263 --> 00:18:56.241 The V is for value Value every moment by living in the moment, Because the only time we're able to live is in the present moment. 00:18:56.241 --> 00:19:06.751 And the last one is e is for enjoy enjoy the people and the day, because you never know when it's going to be your last. 00:19:06.751 --> 00:19:15.212 So those and you can just live one day at a time or, like I say, live in the moment. 00:19:15.212 --> 00:19:19.380 Live, inspire, value, enjoy the moments. 00:19:19.380 --> 00:19:22.744 That is so good. 00:19:25.589 --> 00:19:27.996 That's why I told you I wanted you on here right there. 00:19:27.996 --> 00:19:41.535 I love the way that you take some really deep and sophisticated life concepts and you put them in a real easy digestible form that a person could assimilate. 00:19:41.535 --> 00:19:46.535 Um, one that I heard years ago that I use is r2a2. 00:19:46.535 --> 00:19:49.500 Um, I don't know if you've ever heard of r2a2. 00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:52.633 Most people ask me if it's a star wars character and I say no, it's not. 00:19:52.633 --> 00:19:59.022 R2a2 stands for recognize, relate, assimilate and apply. 00:19:59.022 --> 00:20:05.394 So what I hope people do in these podcasts is recognize the concept. 00:20:06.517 --> 00:20:08.121 Trinnell just gave me the Trinnell effect. 00:20:08.121 --> 00:20:11.551 Trinnell just gave me live, relate to it. 00:20:11.551 --> 00:20:19.294 Okay, I see what he was saying there about love and laughter and living, and I think I can kind of relate to that. 00:20:19.294 --> 00:20:29.204 The next one is assimilate, to take in and to make part of oneself, and then, after you do that, you got to apply it. 00:20:29.204 --> 00:20:47.928 You got to apply the Trinnell effect, you got to apply the live, and so I think that when I heard you speak and I watched you lay these things out for me somebody who's practicing R2A2, now you know why I wanted you on here. 00:20:47.928 --> 00:20:51.998 Cause I'm like I got to get that guy on here to share all that Cause. 00:20:51.998 --> 00:20:54.123 That's exactly what we need to do. 00:20:57.150 --> 00:20:59.436 Yes, I mean I. 00:20:59.436 --> 00:21:12.354 I mean I definitely agree with you on that, because we can listen and hear things all day long, but if we can't relate to them and if we can't apply them to our lives, it's basically useless. 00:21:12.354 --> 00:21:19.270 Because I hear people say knowledge is power and I'm like no knowledge is potential power. 00:21:19.270 --> 00:21:28.721 Applying that knowledge is where the power comes in, because now you got wisdom, because now you can learn from what you have already been taught. 00:21:28.721 --> 00:21:36.943 Now you're applying it, now you can even share it with others, where now there's wisdom and experience that comes from that. 00:21:36.943 --> 00:21:38.556 So that's where I look at it. 00:21:38.556 --> 00:21:41.239 You know, applied knowledge is where the real power comes in. 00:21:47.950 --> 00:21:48.692 So I agree with you that that is good. 00:21:48.692 --> 00:21:49.675 That is real good and, by the way, I like all that. 00:21:49.675 --> 00:21:50.818 You know I'm not going to go. 00:21:50.818 --> 00:21:53.667 This is not the platform for me to share my story. 00:21:53.667 --> 00:22:02.724 Most of the viewers here know my background and my story, but that ffa jacket was the game changer for me, trinnell, that blue and gold FFA jacket. 00:22:03.891 --> 00:22:09.479 When I put that jacket on and zipped it up, you didn't know that I came from a broken home. 00:22:09.479 --> 00:22:13.299 You didn't know that I had my dinner from a garbage can. 00:22:13.299 --> 00:22:19.323 I had $25 in my account when I went to college, or a 14 on my ACT. 00:22:19.323 --> 00:22:21.794 You knew none of that. 00:22:21.794 --> 00:22:24.912 That jacket I look just like everybody else. 00:22:24.912 --> 00:22:28.522 That means I had the same opportunity as everybody else. 00:22:28.522 --> 00:22:52.415 But, to your point, if I would have never applied what I knew, if I would have never have taken a risk and tried what I knew, if I'd have never been willing to take that first step back of resiliency, I'd have never had the opportunities that I've been granted to this day, the blessings that wait on the other side. 00:22:52.415 --> 00:22:57.555 I guarantee you, trinnell, that where you're at is not where you anticipated being. 00:22:57.555 --> 00:23:01.704 But I also believe that, and I I do. 00:23:01.704 --> 00:23:04.573 I sure hope I'm not putting words in your mouth, but I hope I'm right. 00:23:04.573 --> 00:23:05.315 I think I am. 00:23:05.315 --> 00:23:09.429 Something tells me you're an awful grateful person. 00:23:09.469 --> 00:23:30.836 You're awful blessed person because of the people that you've met in your life yes definitely on that and you spoke about opportunities, and that's one of the things that I've learned from sports I mean, you learn from what you just said is that you have to seize the opportunity, and there's two times that I was well. 00:23:30.836 --> 00:23:32.740 I have to seize the opportunity every time I get. 00:23:32.740 --> 00:23:39.594 But one of the things that really come to me is, you know, as I was sharing with you, I was actually playing on the varsity football team. 00:23:39.594 --> 00:23:43.916 You know, as I was sharing with you, I was actually playing on the varsity football team, but what happened is I will never. 00:23:43.916 --> 00:23:45.659 I always remember this, coach. 00:23:46.219 --> 00:23:52.083 I was out there on the practice field and I was on the scout team and I hit. 00:23:52.083 --> 00:23:54.065 Next thing I hear I was like freshman, get in. 00:23:54.065 --> 00:23:58.086 And so I'm trying it, and we had to go against the first team defense. 00:23:58.086 --> 00:24:06.442 And I'm out there and I'm in the huddle and the quarterback is like Trinnell, the ball is coming to you. 00:24:06.442 --> 00:24:12.438 And I'm like, okay, and I'm telling you, man, our defense was huge and so it was a sweep. 00:24:12.438 --> 00:24:17.854 So quarterback received the ball and he tossed it at me and I'm running to the outside as fast as I could. 00:24:17.854 --> 00:24:28.214 Well, I spread the defense apart and I seen a hole where I could just cut up and walk right into the end zone, and that's what I did and I never forget. 00:24:28.276 --> 00:24:35.714 The coach looked at me and was like man, this kid is good, and he moved me up to the varsity football team based off of that. 00:24:35.714 --> 00:24:38.558 But it's because I saw an opportunity. 00:24:38.558 --> 00:24:47.960 I was given an opportunity against the scout team to go against the first team defense, to do my best, and there are going to be people out there that are watching this. 00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:49.834 You're going to get an opportunity. 00:24:49.834 --> 00:24:52.582 Take the opportunity, seize in a moment. 00:24:52.582 --> 00:24:55.278 You may be afraid, because I was afraid. 00:24:55.789 --> 00:25:07.266 You had a big obstacle in front of you, but you have to believe in yourself and take the opportunity, because you never know when that opportunity is going to present you again. 00:25:07.711 --> 00:25:25.269 And when you do take that opportunity and to be able to seize that moment and to make the decision, then you can move your life to the next level level. 00:25:25.269 --> 00:25:42.644 And and I'm gonna say this about decide, because I was blessed by my assistant, who is also in the ffa and she is a teacher, a retired teacher, and it's something that I had to do with my life whenever I got injured, I had to decide and she told me the uh suffix of decide is simply to kill off. 00:25:42.644 --> 00:25:48.321 Whether it's homicide, suicide or pesticide, it means to kill off. 00:25:48.321 --> 00:25:54.077 So whenever you wake up in the morning and you have to make a decision, you have to decide. 00:25:54.077 --> 00:25:59.165 What are you going to kill off that's holding you back in order for you to go towards your future? 00:25:59.165 --> 00:26:02.500 Are you going to kill off them Self-limiting beliefs? 00:26:02.500 --> 00:26:07.903 Are you going to kill off the group of people that are being negative around you? 00:26:07.903 --> 00:26:13.623 What are you going to kill off in order to make the decision, to decide to do your best? 00:26:16.671 --> 00:26:20.815 Well that's good, your assistant said that. 00:26:21.537 --> 00:26:24.458 Yes, yes, she broke it down to me about the word decide. 00:26:24.458 --> 00:26:28.592 So I'm like I'm going to use that because I had to make a decision Every day. 00:26:28.592 --> 00:26:34.441 I get up, I'm paralyzed from the neck down, so I have to make a decision every day to decide. 00:26:34.441 --> 00:27:01.962 Am I going to feel like I'm a burden and cry myself to sleep like I used to when my injury first happened, or am I going to decide to be thankful that God has given me an opportunity to continue to breathe the breath of life, that I've been given An opportunity to use my mind to the fullest, even though I can't use my body, my ability to be able to use what I have, rather than focusing on what I don't have? 00:27:01.962 --> 00:27:11.974 So I have to make that decision to decide to kill off that negativity in order to focus on the positivity that is awesome. 00:27:12.476 --> 00:27:13.657 Yeah, so here's the thing. 00:27:13.657 --> 00:27:16.103 Okay, so you didn't make it into the NFL. 00:27:16.103 --> 00:27:17.770 You're still a pro, by the way. 00:27:17.770 --> 00:27:19.453 I just wanted you to know that. 00:27:19.453 --> 00:27:23.382 You know, think about it, people fear public speaking more than they fear dying. 00:27:23.382 --> 00:27:25.996 Right, look at what you're doing. 00:27:25.996 --> 00:27:29.390 You're like out here on this field in the Pro Bowl. 00:27:29.390 --> 00:27:33.602 You know you're playing the Super Bowl every day, inspiring other people. 00:27:33.602 --> 00:27:34.692 So to your point. 00:27:34.692 --> 00:27:44.351 I'm glad you killed off those negative voices that could have prevented you from sharing such an incredible testimony. 00:27:44.351 --> 00:27:55.852 Let's dive a little bit deeper in here, and not that I don't already have a page full of incredible wisdom that you've already poured into us, but I'm going to give you an opportunity to pour some more. 00:27:56.532 --> 00:28:01.723 So I like to ask the kids I said how many high schools are in Texas? 00:28:01.723 --> 00:28:12.661 Now, there's other people from all over the country watching this podcast and I don't know what the high schools are in every other state, but in Texas we have over 3,000 high schools. 00:28:12.661 --> 00:28:21.000 Now think about that for a second 3,000 high schools Every one of them are going to have a graduating class this year. 00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:24.298 That means that all these kids are going to get out. 00:28:24.298 --> 00:28:29.041 They're going to be looking for a job, scholarship or an opportunity. 00:28:30.230 --> 00:28:32.980 And so I always ask the kids what is your competitive edge? 00:28:32.980 --> 00:28:37.220 What is it that separates you from everybody else? 00:28:37.220 --> 00:28:43.512 It could be something as simple as a firm handshake, look them in the eye, say yes or no sir, yes ma'am, no ma'am. 00:28:43.512 --> 00:28:54.222 It could be something as simple as saying thank you, but I believe that you got to have something, a competitive edge that kind of separates you from the competition. 00:28:54.222 --> 00:29:05.395 Trinnell, if you were coaching kids and you were telling them a little bit about life, kids, and you were telling them a little bit about life and I think the trinell effect, I think that's a competitive edge. 00:29:05.395 --> 00:29:06.798 I think live, live, live. 00:29:06.798 --> 00:29:08.842 I think that is a competitive edge. 00:29:08.842 --> 00:29:11.794 Is there anything else you would tell young people? 00:29:11.794 --> 00:29:22.259 Put this in place in your life, do this when you get out, and I guarantee it'll be a competitive edge yes, and it's called be about. 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:36.757 It be about what you say you're gonna do, and I actually have a little chant that I do with athletes with other high schools and it's called be about it. 00:29:36.757 --> 00:29:38.903 Would you um like to help me out? 00:29:38.903 --> 00:29:41.067 Would you like to help me out? 00:29:41.067 --> 00:29:41.670 Would you like to help me out? 00:29:41.670 --> 00:29:41.789 Aaron? 00:29:42.412 --> 00:29:43.719 Of course I want to help you out. 00:29:43.719 --> 00:29:45.596 I'm not going to let my guests know. 00:29:46.730 --> 00:29:47.453 All right, all right. 00:29:47.453 --> 00:29:52.980 So here, this is what I want you to do, so I want you to say this with me Be about it. 00:29:54.973 --> 00:30:01.897 Be, about it Keep going, be about it, keep going, be about it, be about it, be about it, keep going, keep going, be about it. 00:30:01.897 --> 00:30:06.037 What Be about it, what Be about it, what Be about it, what? 00:30:06.670 --> 00:30:07.632 So now? 00:30:07.632 --> 00:30:11.923 So now I'm going to add something to that. 00:30:11.923 --> 00:30:15.160 As soon as I finish with it, I want you to say be about it. 00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:20.413 Okay, You're going to start it out, I'm going to count you down Three, two, one and you're going to start it off. 00:30:20.413 --> 00:30:23.315 I'm going to count you down Three, two, one and you're going to say be about it. 00:30:23.315 --> 00:30:25.356 And then I'm going to say something after Three, two, one. 00:30:25.376 --> 00:30:28.219 Be about it being the best woman or man. 00:30:28.219 --> 00:30:32.402 Be about it Doing the best that you can. 00:30:32.402 --> 00:30:35.984 Be about it Adding value to people's life. 00:30:35.984 --> 00:30:39.627 Be about it Ending hatred and even strife. 00:30:39.627 --> 00:30:40.648 Be about it Using your abilities. 00:30:40.648 --> 00:30:42.230 Be about it Ending hatred and even strife. 00:30:42.230 --> 00:30:44.671 Be about it Using your abilities. 00:30:44.671 --> 00:30:47.034 Be about it Treating everyone equally. 00:30:47.034 --> 00:30:50.517 Be about it Understanding your self-worth. 00:30:50.517 --> 00:30:51.778 Be about it. 00:30:51.778 --> 00:30:53.839 You have a purpose here on this earth. 00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:55.040 Be about it. 00:30:55.040 --> 00:30:56.883 Be the best version of you. 00:30:56.883 --> 00:30:58.884 Be about it Making it. 00:30:58.884 --> 00:30:59.826 Do what it do. 00:30:59.826 --> 00:31:03.217 Be about it Just wanted to get this off my chest. 00:31:03.217 --> 00:31:03.540 Be about it Making it. 00:31:03.540 --> 00:31:03.603 Do what it do. 00:31:03.603 --> 00:31:03.904 Be about it. 00:31:03.904 --> 00:31:04.368 Just wanted to get this off my chest. 00:31:04.368 --> 00:31:04.711 Be about it. 00:31:04.732 --> 00:31:13.415 You are amazing and don't forget to be about it, what Be about it, what Be about it. 00:31:13.797 --> 00:31:15.054 Exactly so. 00:31:15.054 --> 00:31:19.315 I just want to encourage everyone out there to have that competitive edge. 00:31:19.315 --> 00:31:22.317 Be about being the best person you can be. 00:31:22.317 --> 00:31:30.503 Be about using the opportunities you can to the fullest, because that's all I have ever done. 00:31:30.503 --> 00:31:30.769 That's. 00:31:30.769 --> 00:31:38.855 The only thing that separates me from everyone else is that I have decided to be about it, and I want you to be about it too. 00:31:41.080 --> 00:31:41.682 Thanks, trinnell. 00:31:41.682 --> 00:31:42.523 I appreciate that. 00:31:42.523 --> 00:31:46.271 You know I will not go through the rest of my day without saying be about it. 00:31:47.753 --> 00:31:48.715 Exactly See it's catchy. 00:31:48.715 --> 00:31:49.115 Be about it. 00:31:49.115 --> 00:31:54.104 Exactly Beautiful. 00:31:54.163 --> 00:31:55.506 Beautiful, beautiful. 00:31:55.506 --> 00:31:59.373 All right, let's talk about one last topic here I want to talk about. 00:31:59.373 --> 00:31:59.634 Again. 00:31:59.634 --> 00:32:06.397 All I'm doing is pouring more fuel on this incredible fire you've given us. 00:32:06.397 --> 00:32:08.836 We'll talk about leadership. 00:32:08.836 --> 00:32:22.240 I think our homes, our neighborhoods, our state and our country could sure use a lot more strong leaders. 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:32.413 Trinnell, if you could pour into others the importance of leadership, being a leader, what would you tell them? 00:32:35.097 --> 00:32:49.789 To be a game changer, you have to take the lead, and lead stands for leadership, encouragement, accountability and discipline. 00:32:49.789 --> 00:33:03.238 Lead by example, have that common goal, have a goal with yourself, have a goal for yourself and your team and the people in your life. 00:33:03.238 --> 00:33:15.663 And you have to encourage, be a beacon of light, of hope, to be encouraging to people you know to be able to set goals and to reach that goal. 00:33:15.663 --> 00:33:17.224 But not only that. 00:33:17.224 --> 00:33:24.548 You have to again have that accountability, be responsible, do what you say you're going to do and respond. 00:33:24.567 --> 00:33:26.990 I like what I think Stephen Covey said. 00:33:26.990 --> 00:33:41.758 It's like responsibility and you put a hyphen between response and ability and it's your ability to respond to things and as being accountable. 00:33:41.758 --> 00:33:43.664 You have to be able to respond to things in a way to be able to help yourself and others. 00:33:43.664 --> 00:33:44.567 But also you got to have that discipline. 00:33:44.567 --> 00:33:47.176 You got to do it every day and you got to. 00:33:47.176 --> 00:33:56.277 You know again, like we said earlier, to decide you have to cut out all the things that's not going to get you to where you want to be and by doing that you're able to be a game changer. 00:33:56.277 --> 00:33:58.279 By taking the lead. 00:33:58.279 --> 00:34:06.282 Leadership, encouragement, accountability and discipline that's how we're going to change the game right there. 00:34:06.894 --> 00:34:11.384 In life, in our communities and, you know, in whatever we do. 00:34:13.407 --> 00:34:13.768 Told you. 00:34:13.768 --> 00:34:15.019 What did I tell y'all? 00:34:15.019 --> 00:34:19.264 I said we're just going to keep pouring it on and he's going to keep pouring it out. 00:34:19.264 --> 00:34:19.985 Guess what. 00:34:19.985 --> 00:34:21.409 That's what he's about. 00:34:21.409 --> 00:34:23.360 That's what he just did. 00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:27.384 Oh, man, trinnell, thank you so much. 00:34:27.384 --> 00:34:28.621 This is so good. 00:34:28.621 --> 00:34:31.443 I mean, I've got a whole page of notes here. 00:34:31.443 --> 00:34:34.322 Is there anything else you'd like to share? 00:34:34.322 --> 00:34:42.579 Anything else you'd like for people to know about life's journeys? 00:34:44.643 --> 00:34:45.847 and the importance of a healthy perspective. 00:34:45.847 --> 00:34:49.715 I'm telling you, um, your most valuable asset that you have is your mind. 00:34:49.715 --> 00:35:00.295 So it's going to be important to be able to guard your mind and to be able to train it in a way that you're able to use it to the fullest. 00:35:00.295 --> 00:35:05.085 And again, for me, I'm paralyzed from the neck down. 00:35:05.085 --> 00:35:07.268 I can't use my body to distract me. 00:35:07.268 --> 00:35:09.699 Only thing that I have is my mind. 00:35:09.699 --> 00:35:12.786 I have my faith, my family and my mind. 00:35:12.927 --> 00:35:37.106 So, again, protect your most valuable asset, utilize it to the fullest, which is your mind so, trinell, back in the day, when I used to work with the, the at-risk kids in the boot camp and with juvenile detention and some other programs, I used to ask the kids this question. 00:35:37.106 --> 00:35:48.958 I said if I gave you a water canteen, and I gave you a water faucet and I told you we were going to take a trip across the desert, I said what would you do with that canteen? 00:35:48.958 --> 00:36:00.175 And they'd all look at me like I was stupid and they said well, of course, mr Aaron, I'd fill up my canteen, I'd fill it to the brim, I'd drink as much water as I could, I'd get my shirt and get it wet. 00:36:00.175 --> 00:36:02.141 I said why would you do all that? 00:36:02.141 --> 00:36:05.007 And they said because I got to get across the desert. 00:36:05.875 --> 00:36:07.621 I said that's right, what do you know about deserts? 00:36:07.621 --> 00:36:10.856 And they said, well, they're hot, they're dry and you're going to need that. 00:36:10.856 --> 00:36:12.498 I said, well, how do you know that? 00:36:12.498 --> 00:36:14.460 I said you ever been to one? 00:36:14.460 --> 00:36:18.302 Well, no, but I know people that have and they've told me about it. 00:36:18.302 --> 00:36:20.063 I said, good, Guess what I know about life? 00:36:20.063 --> 00:36:24.387 It's a long, hot desert and this right here is your canteen. 00:36:24.708 --> 00:36:42.447 And you better fill it up with as much information as you can, because I'm telling you it's long and it's hard out there and you're going to need to have wisdom and discernment and all the tools up here in your tool belt to get through that desert of life. 00:36:42.447 --> 00:36:43.572 And they all say, well, I guess that kind of makes sense. 00:36:43.572 --> 00:36:44.375 I said, dang right, it makes sense. 00:36:44.375 --> 00:36:58.568 Now I'm going to get to tell them be about so, be about filling that canteen up yes, sir, definitely all right, trinell, I appreciate you so much and I appreciate your willingness to share. 00:36:58.588 --> 00:37:18.579 Trinnell, I appreciate you so much and I appreciate your willingness to share and, if y'all didn't catch it earlier, he just came off of a little bit of a sickness, so this was a real challenge to step up and deliver today and you did it exceptionally, by the way, and your assistant there, she's exceptional as well, and I just appreciate both of you and your willingness to help us today. 00:37:18.579 --> 00:37:24.722 Um, every guest gets a fun question at the end, trinnell, so you get a fun question too. 00:37:24.722 --> 00:37:31.402 All right, I want to know, mr Trinnell Walker, what is the best concert you've ever been to? 00:37:32.184 --> 00:37:40.588 oh man, it's been so long since I've been to a concert but I think, think I remember, man, when I was younger man, going to a New Edition concert. 00:37:40.588 --> 00:37:51.403 Man, I had never been to a concert before in my life and I went with my stepmom and it was a great concert and it was very, yeah, it was great. 00:37:51.403 --> 00:37:53.742 That's why I still remember it New. 00:37:53.822 --> 00:37:54.425 Edition. 00:37:54.425 --> 00:37:56.179 I remember New Edition. 00:37:56.179 --> 00:37:57.523 Look at you go. 00:37:57.523 --> 00:37:59.088 I loved it. 00:37:59.088 --> 00:38:04.025 That's the other thing I like about this podcast, trinell, is we get a whole spectrum, as you might imagine. 00:38:04.025 --> 00:38:09.797 I've got everything from country western to heavy metal. 00:38:09.797 --> 00:38:17.909 One on here that love pit bull I've heard everything so everything so awesome. 00:38:17.929 --> 00:38:18.469 What about you? 00:38:19.230 --> 00:38:33.947 Oh man, if you were to grab my my phone right now and look at my music category, I've got everything from Frank Sinatra, the contemporary Christian, to rock and roll, to a little R and B to a little. 00:38:33.947 --> 00:38:37.715 I mean I even got some old school run DMC rap in there. 00:38:37.715 --> 00:38:41.206 I got Jimmy Buffett, michael Bublé. 00:38:41.206 --> 00:38:47.125 I'm a diehard Bruce Springsteen fan, so I kind of like a little bit of everything. 00:38:49.237 --> 00:38:52.719 Oh, good deal, Good deal. 00:38:53.295 --> 00:38:54.561 Well, listen, let's wrap it up. 00:38:54.561 --> 00:38:57.224 Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for stopping by. 00:38:57.224 --> 00:39:01.764 I meant the fact that you're willing to give us a little bit of your time. 00:39:01.764 --> 00:39:11.284 I meant the only thing we get to do with time is spend it, and the fact that you stopped by to share and listen to Trinnell. 00:39:11.284 --> 00:39:24.088 Just pour into us To share the Trinnell effect, to share live, to share lead. 00:39:24.088 --> 00:39:39.476